Sweet potatoes and apples

I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner .... I strayed some from the original recipe... this is my version

1/4# bacon 
1 onion, diced

Saute together in large skillet until bacon is done. Drain the grease off.. Then add
 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 
 1/4 cup real maple syrup 
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, with lid on , for about 15 min. till sweet potatoes are cooked.  Remove lid and simmer away some of the liquid, then add 
3 apples, diced ... I used granny smiths.. 

Cover and cook 5 min. till the apples are soft. 

So many flavors that really work well together... 

Best Ever Banana Bread

I don't know where I found this recipe, I only know that I have been using it for a good 20 years. I renamed it to the Best Ever Banana Bread, because I really think that it is... and most everyone that has had it, says the same thing... 

In small glass bowl mix together 
1 & 1/2 cups sour cream
2 tsp baking soda 
and let sit about 5 minutes till it is bubbly. 

In a large bowl combine
1/2 cup butter, softened with 
1 & 1/2 cups sugar 
until well combined. 
Then add 3 eggs, one by one until the mixture is well combined , again.
Then add 
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
 2 & 1/2cups flour and continue mixing till it is combined. 
Then add 3 bananas, that are all smashed up ... 
Fold in the sour cream mixture. 

Put in two well greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 50 min. Cool in pan 10 min. before removing to a rack to cool. 

Apricot Wraps

These are a quick and easy appetizer that even younger children could easily put together and they are SO good... I am taking them to the last gathering of our Cooking Club tonight... They are one of my favorite appetizers.. maybe because of that sweet/salty thing!!! 
 1 pkg. [14 oz. ] dried apricots 
1/2 cup whole almonds
1 # sliced bacon...cut each slice in thirds 
1/4 cup apple jelly
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Mold an apricot around an almond and then wrap 1/3 strip of bacon around it, securing with a toothpick. 

Put on baking sheet. 
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes

In saucepot, melt apple jelly and then add soy sauce, stirring till combined.  Dip the apricot wraps in the sauce!!! 

Chicken and stuffing casserole

Ten years ago my best friend brought this casserole over to us and it has become a favorite ever since... Of course Carol could not give me the recipe , as like me, most of her recipes are in her head. This is one of my favorite dishes to take for a covered dish dinner, or when I want to take dinner to someone  as it is so easy to make a head, leave in the refrigerator and then put in the oven at dinner time. 

So you will need chicken breasts... boneless skinless.... I cut them in a little bigger than bite size pieces and then saute them in a bit of oil until they are cooked all of the way through. Often I grill them in a grill pan because the bits left in the pan help make great gravy... 

So while they are cooking, you will need to make some stuffing...I am sure you can use a box of Stove Top if you want...[and if you use Stove Top, I think you might want to use two boxes}... but I always make mine by sauteing  diced onions and celery in lots of butter... then adding lots of chicken stock... and then a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing..and then some extra seasonings..... Okay, what is lots???  A stick of butter for a bag of stuffing and nearly 4 cups of chicken stock... {and a medium onion and 3 or 4 stalks of celery} ....
I then add some poultry seasoning and some sage... 

If you make the whole bag of stuffing it will fit into a 9x13 pan, so you would want to saute about 4- 5 single chicken breasts....

I know.. this is getting complicated.. but it is really very easy ... 

Once the chicken is done, put it in the bottom of the  9x13 pan... then spread the stuffing over it... 

Now you need to make the gravy... Using the pan you cooked the chicken in , add about 2 cups of chicken stock.... loosening up any bits..... If need be, strain them , in a fine sieve... Put the stock back on the stove... bring to a boil.. 
In a small cup mix together 1/4 cup flour and a 1/2 cup water... Mix together until it is smooth... Add to the boiling stock, reduce heat... and then simmer, stirring constantly, till it is thicken and smooth.  That's how you make gravy... You may need to add salt... you may want to add a drop of yellow food coloring... 

Pour the gravy over the stuffing.... then bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. If you choose to refrigerate it and bake it later, it will take an additional 30 minute . When it is bubbly around the edges  it is ready !!! 

Cheeseburger Soup

I am not a big lover of ground beef.... but I sure do love it in this soup. I am also not a big fan of leftover food, but this soup is quite wonderful when it is reheated.

In a large saucepot combine:
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups cubed potatoes
1/4 cup diced green pepper
2 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bouillon cube
1/2 tsp salt

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 min.
Meanwhile saute
1# ground beef
Then drain  it.
Add the ground beef to the veggie mixture (after 20 minutes of simmering} and
2 cups of milk
Heat...
Mix together in a small bowl
1/2 cup milk and
3 Tbsp. flour
Gradually stir into hot soup and bring to a boil... Cook and stir for two minutes till thick and bubbly

Add
8 ounces of velvetta cheese that has been cubed

Stir and heat till melted.

I always garnish with some bacon that I have cooked till crisp and then broken up into small pieces.

Fresh Apple Cake

I have been making this recipe for about 36 years. A friend of my Mother In Laws gave me the recipe. I love it especially because there is no icing on it. 

In large bowl mix together with spoon:
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla 
Then add:
 3 cups chopped , peeled apples {I prefer Granny Smiths}
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp . baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
When well combined, put into greased 9x13 pan. {batter is very thick!} 
Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. 

Cheesey Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers= tasted one, tasted them all. At least that is the way I feel about stuffed peppers.... that is , until you taste mine! Not only are my stuffed peppers unique in ingredients and taste, but in ease of making. The peppers are clean, cut and fill... the filling is just mix and stuff into the peppers. There is no cooking rice, sauteing ground meat, partially cooking peppers.

These are always a favorite at our home and a recipe that my guests always ask for... I often put these together in the morning , refrigerate , and then bake at dinner time. I always serve these with a side of spaghetti and homemade marinara.

You will need: 

3 large green peppers, cut in half lengthwise and cleaned out

In a bowl mix together:

1# ground beef

1 cup cottage cheese

1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 small onion, finely diced

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt 

Mix well and stuff into the peppers. Usually the mixture is in a heaping mound. 

Put in 9x13 dish. 

Bake at 350 for about 45-50 min. 

Top with some shredded cheese... You may like mozzarella or provolone... we love a super sharp on them.. bake till the cheese is melted. 

Lasagna Soup

I am way behind with my blog... I have taken pictures and intended to post the recipes when I made something I wanted to share, but I guess  Mike's procrastinating is contagious. So hopefully I will try and get caught up in one sitting.   First recipe is Lasagna soup. I stumbled across this recipe in a magazine many years ago and have tweaked it over time to make it my own. Mike and I LOVE soup in the cooler months, and living in northern NY, there are more cooler months , so I make soup a lot! The ingredients in this soup are staples in my kitchen so I make this soup frequently! 

 sweet Italian sausage links, cut in bite size pieces [or bulk Italian sausage works well also!]

1 diced onion {I have gotten so I use shallots instead} 

1 cup diced carrots

2 cups mushrooms,sliced

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

Saute together until meat is done. Then add

4 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes {I use two}

1 small can tomato sauce

Bring to a boil...then put in

1 cup small pasta {I use the mini Barilla}

Simmer 10 min. till pasta is done

Then stir in 2 cups fresh spinach till it is just wilted.

To serve, in bowl, but small cubes of diced fresh mozzarella and asiago or sharp provolone cheese.. Spoon soup over the cheeses. Then garnish soup with some grated Italian cheese. 

Turtle Brownies

The temperature has finally dropped into the 70's and for a real change, the humidity is low also, so I decided to bake something. I have really fallen in love with this brownie pan from  Pampered Chef. There are endless possibilities of things that you can prepare in it. Besides the fact that the baked goods are uniform size in it, they seem to stay fresh so much longer.

I just mixed up a brownie mix per the instructions on the box. If I am going to make box brownies, I prefer Ghiradelli brand. It is a little more expensive , but tastes like scratch brownies.
I divided the batter between the 12 parts of the pan.

Then I cut 24 Rolo's [chocolate covered caramel candy] in half and put four halves on each brownie. I topped the brownies with some chopped pecans and then baked in a preheated 325 oven for 23 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 min. Run a knife around each brownie then gently turn pan upside down on a cooling rack. Carefully remove pan.
Enjoy!!!!!!

Tangy Cucumber Salad

This salad is one I make frequently, once I am able to buy locally grown tomatoes. This salad was a part of our 4th of July cook out yesterday !!!

2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced  {I always use one english cucumber}
2 medium tomatoes, chopped 
1 small onion, diced {I prefer a shallot}
Combine the above in a bowl...Then mix up the dressing ingredients:
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano

Pour over the cucumber mixture and toss. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Turkey and Swiss salad

I just made one of my favorite summer salads for the cook out this afternoon. This is one of the easiest salads to put together and I love it that there is no mayo in it , when you have to serve it outside.

I am just guessing at the measurements..... add as much or as little of the ingredients as you like!

 Half of a 1# box of elbows {or any pasta you love... I used Pipettes!}-cooked & drained
1 slice oven roasted deli turkey , sliced 1 inch thick, then diced up
4 oz. swiss cheese, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 jar diced pimentos, drained
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Mix all together , then chill... I use my favorite salad dressing which is Garlic Expressions, that I buy at Hannaford ... and we fight over the cloves of garlic in the bottom.....

Candy bar Chocolate Chip cookies

This recipe makes a BIG batch but they will be gone before you know it!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Cream together with mixer till well blended . Then add
2 eggs, beating after each
1 tsp vanilla
Then comes all of the dry ingredients... slowly add them, mixing well after each addition:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats, that you pulverize in food processor ,till powder like
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
4 oz. Hersheys chocolate bar, finely grated {I toss it in the Vita Mix!}
1 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

When well combined, roll into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 min. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on racks..

Italian Chicken Soup

This soup is one of my favorites... not just because it is super easy or because it so delicious. It is one of my favorites because it has a history. I came across a similiar recipe in a magazine 25 years ago and with some tweaking, made it my own. It became my sister Bonnie's favorite soup. She battled breast cancer for 12 years. In the final years when eating was often difficult, she would request this soup , sometimes several times a week. This is not your typical chicken soup but I believe it has comparable healing qualities!!!
A friend had surgery yesterday so this is what I took over for their dinner today. The all powerful quick and easy chicken soup!!!!!

In 2 Tbsp. of olive oil  saute
2 chicken breasts that have been cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced 
until the veggies are tender and the chicken is done.
Then add:
1 tsp basil
1 cup water
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer , covered for 5 minutes. Add
1 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup vermicelli, broken into pieces
 Cover and simmer 10 minutes more

 Garnish with grated Italian cheese ...

Upside Down Rhubarb Cake

It's spring in northern New York and the rhubarb is plentiful!!! My friend Donna brought me some of the smallest, sweetest rhubarb I have ever had. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try and after having a piece, I think this is my new favorite rhubarb recipe!!!!

Crumb topping:
4 Tbsp. butter, melted then add
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
Combine until crumbly... set aside

Butter a 9 inch round cake pan, then cut up  4 Tbsp. of butter and place them all over the bottom of the cake pan.

In bowl, combine 3 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
and 3/4 cup sugar.
Let stand a few minutes.

In another bowl combine
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
with electric mixer until  it is pale and fluffy then add
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 Tbsp. orange juice.
When combined add
2 eggs, one at a time
Then mix in:
 1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
dash salt
When that mixture is well incorporated fold in
1 cup sour cream
until it is well combined.

Put the rhubarb mix on top of the butter in the cake pan. Carefully spread the cake batter over top. Then sprinkle the crumb topping on last.
Bake at 350  about an hour till the center tests clean with a toothpick. 

 Let cool for ten minutes then invert on a wire rack to cool.

Snickerdoodles!!!

Isn't it funny how a taste, a smell , even a sound, can take you back decades in a flash?? Well that's what baking and eating snickerdoodles does for me. It is one of the cookies that I remember that my grandmother, Mema, made all of the time.  If I was lucky to be at her home when she was baking, then I got to eat one when they were warm!!! Now that I am all grown up , and the boss of me, I always get to eat the warm cookies !!!!
I do not have Mema's recipe, but this is the one that I have used for years. It is quite different because it uses butter and crisco. I am sure Mema's were made with just crisco because fifty years ago , that is what people used when they baked!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In small bowl combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon . Set aside to roll the cookie balls in .
In large bowl combine
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar
Beat with electric mixer at medium speed  until light and fluffy.
Add
2 eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
Reduce speed to low and add
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Just mix until all the dry ingredients are combined.
Roll 2 Tbsp. dough  into a ball, then roll into the sugar/cinnamon mix until coated on all sides.
Put on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are beginning to brown ... centers will be soft ....
Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before putting on a rack to cool.

Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

I was so anxious to try this new recipe I had just come across, that it did not matter that it was warm and sunny outside.  It was the perfect day for grilling, but instead our meal came from a crock pot!!!

1 pkg. [10 oz.] frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out of
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups matchstick carrots
2 [10 oz.] packages refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups Italian blended cheeses, shredded
uncooked lasagna noodles
1/4 cup fresh basil

Combine spinach, chicken, carrots, Alfredo sauce, soup, broth, pepper and 3 cups of the cheese.
 Put a quarter of the sauce in a greased 6 quart crock pot. Then put a layer of uncooked lasagna, breaking them to fit. Repeat layers two more times, then end with a layer of the sauce. Sprinkle the 1 cup of cheese over the top.
Cook on Low for 3 1/2 hours until noodles are soft and the mixture is bubbly and browning around the edges. Remove cover and cook for 30 more minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving..

Okay... I used my 6 quart crock pot but this was done in closer to 3 hours... than 3 1/2 and the bottom was pretty crunchy. It also only filled the crock pot maybe a little more than half way. The next time I think I will make it in the 4 quart crock pot and hope that the bottom doesn't brown !  I did not use matchstick carrots but instead cut small carrots in small rounds. They were a little on the crunchy side. Matchstick carrots probably would have been cooked all of the way through. 

We absolutely loved this casserole!!!!  It is very rich, but so full of flavors and so easy to throw together. This is also the first time I have ever come across a crock recipe that calls for cooking with the top off for a certain period of time.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

How boring are chocolate chip cookies? It seems like they all  taste basically the same. Until now. I just came across this recipe and have made it twice in the last two weeks. These are bakery style chewy cookies.

2 1/2 cups flour
1  1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
2 sticks butter, at room temp
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
Fleur de sel for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheets with parchments , unless you have fabulous nonstick cookie sheets like mine!
Sift together flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl cream together both sugars, butter and vanilla  on medium speed, until light and fluffy. About 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix NO MORE than one minute. The eggs with NOT be fully incorporated. With mixer at low speed add dry ingredients , in thirds, beating until well combined,about one to two mintues.  Sprinkle in the chocolate chunks , beating until just combined.

Form mounds of about 1/4 cup batter on cookie sheet. I used the large cookie scoop from Pampered chef, leaving about  2 inches between cookies. Lightly tap each mound down with the palm of your hand then sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel.  The first time I made these, I did not have this but was able to find it in Hannafords, so today's batch got a sprinkling of it.. What is it?? It's a really refined sea salt! Sprinkling salt on a cookie??  Well that's my kind of cookie and I have decided that's probably what is missing from most cookies!
Okay.. back to the recipe... Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 min. Using the Pampered Chef scoop, mine only took about 11 minutes to bake. ***** Okay, just found out that I used the  medium scoop... there is a large scoop... so the medium scoop took 11 minutes and the large scoop will take closer to 18 minutes!...The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but still light in the centers. Let cookies cool on a wire rack. Store in air tight container.

If you don't have the fleur de sel, make the cookies  with out it , as they were still the best chocolate chip cookies I have had. Today I even used chocolate chips in them, instead of the chocolate chunks!!!

Skillet Lasagna

I joined a Cooking Club last month. It sounds very formal but it is really just a group of gals who gather at my friend Erin's house every month to cook together. We make one or two recipes together and then get to eat what we have made!!! It is a nice way to meet new people , have a fun evening out and acquire some new recipes! Yesterday Erin sent the group a bonus recipe and encouraged us to make it on our own. I was a bit hesitant... after all .. skillet lasagna doesn't sound that appealing to a gal who make a quite wonderful pan of lasagna.....from scratch. However, being a good sport, I decided I would give it a try today . I was pleasantly surprised by not only how easy it was..... maybe it took 30 minutes from start to finish.... but how delicious it was!!! Both Mike and I agreed that it was a keeper recipe. Lucky for me, Erin had it in text form so I just had to copy and paste, but do check below the recipe to the changes I made to it... Thanks Erin for another great recipe!

1 jar (24-26 ozL) marinara sauce
3 cups water
8 oz lasagna noodles
1 lb bulk hot Italian turkey sausage or sausage links, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta cheese (about 8 oz, see Chef's Corner
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Additional grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine sauce and water in (12-in./30-cm) Skillet. Cover; bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, wrap noodles in clean kitchen towel and break crosswise into quarters. Stir noodles into sauce. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 16-18 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. As noodles cook, place sausage into (10-in./25-cm) Skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles using Mix 'N Chop. Add pressed garlic; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir sausage into noodles and sauce.

4. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Chop parsley using Santoku Knife; set aside 1 tbsp (15 mL) parsley for garnish. Combine cheeses, remaining parsley and black pepper in Classic Batter Bowl. Scoop cheese mixture over noodles using Medium Scoop. Cover Skillet and simmer gently 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and ricotta mixture is heated through.
5. To serve, sprinkle lasagna with reserved parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 470, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 80 mg, Carbohydrate 41 g, Protein 30 g, Sodium 1200 mg, Fiber 3 g
U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 starch, 3 medium-fat meat (3 carb)

Cook's Tips: Wrapping lasagna noodles in a clean kitchen towel before breaking into quarters prevents them from scattering around your countertop.
The attractive ruffled edge of regular lasagna noodles add to this dish's visual appeal. No-boil noodles can be used instead of the regular lasagna noodles, if desired. Reduce cooking time of noodles to 10-12 minutes; proceed as recipe directs.

Fresh whole milk ricotta cheese is preferred in this recipe for its smooth texture. Look for fresh ricotta cheese at the deli. Drain off excess liquid before using.

(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2012
Added 4/21

I ended up doubling the cheese mix and as you can see , the scoops did not cover the top  of  my 12 inch skillet. The next time I make it I think I will spread the cheese over the top of the lasagna, instead of doing the scoops. Also, I added an small onion, diced, to the sausage when I sauted it and I used Italian sweet pork sausage.. turkey sausage is not allowed in this house!!!!!
My friend Amy from the Club just told me that she made this today and browned the sausage then added the sauce and water and cooked the lasagna, all in one skillet! I will do that the next time I make this!!

Sausage Balls

It is Sunday morning and that means that breakfast is more than a bowl of oatmeal or cheerios!!!! One of our favorite breakfast is sausage balls with eggs over easy and toast. My cousin Nena brought the sausage balls as an appetizer to a family gathering years ago. It was love at first bite for me, but then I love just about anything with sausage in it. I started making them every time I served appetizers but then I decided that they would be absolutely wonderful with eggs for breakfast! So here is the recipe, as I have adapted it for my use.

1 tube of Jimmie Dean sausage- I prefer the regular seasoned one
3/4th of cup of Bisquick
2 cups shredded sharp cheese- I use extra sharp
1/2 of a small onion, grated
1 stalk of celery, grated

Mix with hands. Roll into balls. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 min. turning once. Baking time is dependent on how large you make the balls.

Pork and Veggie Soup

Mike's got a really nasty cold and just does not feel well, so I made soup for our dinner.. Nothing tastes better when you are sick than homemade soup!!! By the way.. I always double this recipe... 


1 boneless pork chop, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
half of a ring of kielbasa, sliced and then each slice quartered
1/4 chopped onion
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic,minced
1/4 tsp paprika
2 cups chicken broth
1 granny smith apple, diced {I leave the skin on } 
1 red potato, diced [I leave the skin on } 
1/2 tsp Chinese five -spice
1 tsp. honey

In soup pot, in butter, saute the pork chop, kielbasa, onion, celery and carrots over medium high heat until the pork chop is no longer pink... about 5 minutes. 
Add garlic and paprika...cook one more minute. 
Then add broth, apple, potato,and five spice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 15 min.until pork and veggies are tender. Stir in honey... Then serve. 

Two Ingredient Lemon Cake

When I came across this recipe, I had to give it a try. It was beyond easy and quite delicious!

1 can of lemon pie filling
1 angel food cake mix
Combine the two ingredients, in a bowl, with a spoon.
Put into a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.
You could sprinkle it with confectionary sugar, but I thought it was quite perfect without anything on it.

Easy Beef Stew

Now that spring is here, and the fears of being 'snowed in' are past, it is time to empty the freezer of the winter stash of meats and veggies. Although it was a beautiful spring day , in the 50's , with lots of sunshine, I made beef stew for dinner tonight. My MIL gave me this recipe when I was a young bride. It is easy and delicious! The directions are for the oven, but if you are lucky enough to own a Nesco, that is what I cook my stew in !

2#'s of stew beef, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can of tomato soup
2 cups of water
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 Tbsp. bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. Tapioca [yes , Tapioca... the bread crumbs and tapioca help to thicken the gravy]
1 envelope Lipton Onion soup
4 med. potatoes, cut into bite size pieces - I use red or yukon gold potatoes, so I leave the skins on
3 -4 carrots, pared and sliced      
3-4 stalks of celery, sliced

Combine everything in 3-4 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 300 degrees, yes, 300 degrees, for 3- 4 hours, stirring occasionally. The time will depend on how large your pieces of meat and vegetables are ... Did I mention, it makes it's own gravy? !

London Broil Marinade

Living in northern New York where winters can be very long, very cold and very snowy, we have to limit the outdoor grilling that we do. This winter broke all records with it's lack of snow and sub zero temps. However , I guess we still got stuck in the "winter" frame of mind and limited the grilling to steaks and chicken that were done rather quickly! So as a sign of a change in the season , Mike grilled a london broil for our dinner today ... one of our favorites. It is one of the few meats I will marinate. So here is the marinade that I have made for a london broil for as long as I can remember ....

1 cup oil [vegetable or canola... not olive oil]
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice {I prefer fresh squeezed, but have used bottle in a pinch!}
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic ,minced

I put it all into a ziploc bag and then add the london broil. This makes enough for two london broils, so most of the time, I just halve the recipe for us .
I let it marinade at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

Then Mike does the grilling!!! The meat was medium rare, but I sure couldn't get the camera to show that in the photos. After taking about 15 photos, changing the settings and the lighting each time, I gave up and settled for this picture, so we could eat while the meat was still warm!!!

Brown Butter Cookies

When I have the least amount of time, is usually when I want to fix something that takes a lot of time. We will have a house full of people Saturday and of course the cookie jar has to be full {I make cookies nearly every week as Mike has such a sweet tooth} but of course I wanted to make one of my favorite cookies.. Oddly enough, both of my favorite cookies, start out with butter in a saute pan!!!!  Anyways, I mixed these up first thing this morning and just baked them, prior to getting dinner on the table! So remember if you decide to make these { and you should as they are absolutely delicious!!!} be sure to read through the recipe first, and make sure you have enough time!

1 cup butter
1 and 1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
2 and 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 bag of a 8 oz. bag of Heath English Toffee bits, milk chocolate toffee bits

In a saute pan melt the butter over medium heat. Simmer , stirring occasionally , until it turns brown, about 5 min. after the butter has melted. Be sure to watch it as it can burn... and you don't want that. Remove from stove and cool for 30 minutes. Then put in a large bowl and with a spoon {not a mixer} stir in the brown sugar and salt until well blended. Then add each egg, one by one, until incorporated. Stir in vanilla. Add flour and baking soda, stirring well. Stir in remaining ingredients.

On a long piece of saran wrap, make a log of the dough, approximately 3 and 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours.

To bake, cut log into 1/2 inch slices. Put on  parchment paper and bake for 11 minutes in a preheated 350 oven. The recipe stipulates 11 minute precisely and then let cool on the cookie sheets, that have been place on a wire rack , for 20 minutes.

Crispy Chocolate Caramel Bars

My friend Kathy commented under my first blog post that I should post this recipe. These are one of my favorite cookies and probably one of my most requested recipes.

Crust:
 1 and 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup confectionary sugar
1/2 cup butter
Mix all of the above until it is very small crumbs then lightly press into an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish.  Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt
 one 14 oz. pkg. caramels
1/3 cup half and half or evaporated milk {  I have used both}
1/4 cup butter
Stirring occasionally until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread over baked crust.

In a small saucepan melt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. Crisco
Once they are melted and a smooth mixture , stir in
3/4 cup of Rice Krispies
Spread over caramel layer.
Chill  to let the layers set before cutting.

Zuppa Tuscana

After nearly two weeks of very warm weather , the mercury hovered in the low 30's today . When you figured in the wind chill, the air temp felt like the high teens, so I decided to make a pot of soup for dinner. Two of my most favorite things to make are appetizers and soup.  In the winter months, I make soup once a week!

This is Courtney's recipe. It's already a favorite here!

1 # Italian sausage {I used sweet},casing removed
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups fresh kale, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
2 and 1/2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

In large soup pot, crumble sausage and saute over medium heat until browned. Remove the sausage and add the onion to the pot and saute until tender. Then add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for one minute. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scrapping up any browned bits that are stuck to the pan. Add the potatoes, kale, broth , water and sausage. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer . Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately!

3-2-1 Cake in a Cup

I just had a request for this recipe! This too, is super easy . Since I discovered this recipe, I always have a batch on hand. For those of you that work outside the home, this is an easy dessert to take to work to share!

You will need two cake mixes. One MUST be an angel food cake. The other can be any flavor. The sky is the limit. Put both cake mixes into a gallon size ziploc bag. Squeeze out the air , zip the bag  and then combine both mixes by gently shaking the bag.
In a microwave safe cup place 3 Tablespoons of the cake mix then add 2 tablespoons of water. Mix with a fork or a small whisk till smooth. Microwave on high for 1 minute. It's as easy as that.
You can eat the cake plain [my favorite way] or you can add ice cream toppings, jams or jellys, peanut butter or even frost once it is cool.

Two Ingredient Cupcakes

When I came across this recipe I thought it sounded too good to be true. I have been baking for the last forty years. I am the daughter of a professional baker. There is nothing simple and easy about baking. Or at least I thought there was nothing simple and easy about it.... until today .  If you never bake, this recipe is a great one to try . If you bake all of the time , like I do , it's a great one to try. Just so you can say you made cupcakes with two ingredients and that they were good... really good !!!!

One 12 oz. can of soda, at room temperature. It does not matter what flavor. I used Coke Zero.
One cake mix. I used a Duncan Hines German Chocolate cake mix.

Pour the soda over the dry cake mix in a bowl and mix with a whisk until it is all moistened and most of the lumps are gone. Then fill paper lined muffin pans 2/3rds of the way full. I got 15 out of the batter.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool, on a rack, before frosting.

I found that it took more time to put the paper liners in the muffin pans than it did to make the batter!!!